Five months ago, in June of this year, I went on a day adventure to the then nearby town of Ilkley. I spent the day admiring the scenery and, of course, shopping. On my stroll I came across a second-hand bookshop, I always love the smell of old books so I popped in with barely an intent to buy, merely the intent to admire.

However, whilst perusing the library I came across a very small book, hidden away behind the others. The book was possibly unnoticable to others in the shop, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of it, no matter how much I tried to distract myself in fiction or biographies, this book had it’s grip on me. Eventually, I caved in and bought it. Smiling to myself as I walked out of the shop, I flipped the book over and over in my hand, admiring the print work on the cover…

The Observers Book of British Wildflowers.

This book was incredible, as I continued my walk I could see all of the flowers it mentioned: Foxgloves and Honeysuckles, Parsley and Cinquefoils; this book had them all! Not only did it describe them in great detail, but the book was filled from cover to cover with the most exquisite illustrations of the fauna, and included information about their flowering period and growth conditions. For a budding biologist like myself at the time, it was like finding a bar of gold.

As much as I loved my wildflower book, and used it everyday to increase my understanding of the natural world, the book had it’s limitations. It held all the information I needed about wildflowers, but no more. I could become world renowned for my knowledge in this field, but no others. I carried the book with me, but eventually began to spare it less and less thought. My life moved on, all the better for having my wildflower, but the same nonetheless.

Until…

Last week, whilst visiting my family back home. I was once again perusing local antiquites shops, when I came across something peculiar. It was my book! But, not my book? No! It was exactly like my book in almost every way, except one major difference…

The Observer’s Book of British Birds

“This couldn’t be?” I thought to myself. Another book, holding all of it’s untold wisdom, but in an entirely different topic to that of my wildflower. I bought the book post-haste, and brought it back to compare.

Sure enough the books were nearly identical, apart from of course their internal information. There was no mistaking it though, these books were part of a series! My wildflower was less wild and more cultivated, there must be a way of finding more information…

Thankfully, the feathered friends had brought a few clues with them. The book of birds had a dust jacket as oppose to the book of wildflowers. On the inside leaf of this dust jacket was a list…

…of twenty books!

I couldn’t believe it. Twenty books, all of them on different topics from Butterflies to Music, Animals to Aircraft. The vast amounts of knowledge becoming available to me began to make my mind spin. I noticed though, that each book shared the same leading title: “The Observer’s Book of…”. Perhaps, with the help of the internet I could find more information about what purpose these books served? The information I found shook me to my very core…

One

HUNDRED

books!

So armed with my newfound research, I can tell you everything I found out. The Observer’s Book series was published between 1937 and 2003, covering a vast range of information available to British folk. These books have been used by countless people over the past century, one particular example is the Observer’s Book of Aircraft which was used largely during the Blitz in World War II in order to help the public identify when a Nazi aircraft was flying overhead!

These books are highly regarded as collector’s items, which conveniently is exactly what I intend to do. A book series, that overall would share effectively everything you need to know about the background world around me? You’re damn right I’m getting them all.

I want to bring you along on this journey too. I’ll add a new section of my site to include my current collection of Observer’s books. To date I’m up to five:

1. Birds

2. Wildflowers

3. Butterflies

5. Wild Animals

16. Music

According to a good friend, five is the minimum you need to have ‘a collection’ (whatever), but I intend to get many more, to truly revolutionise my wandering knowledge. The adventures are just beginning!

Thanks for reading, I know I won’t ever stop!

Cassie 😀